Archive | August, 2008

You have checked and double checked, packed and repacked. You have been school shopping, grocery shopping and clothes shopping. You might even have a list that you will check again (that makes twice) before you take off for school. You’re all set. Except for when those pesky classes start and you actually have to learn.

Fortunately, all the information you will need for your classes has been conveniently bound into one location: textbooks. You are already paying an arm and a leg or two for tuition, and many find themselves surrendering both arms in the aftermath of textbook shopping. There’s no doubt that textbooks are expensive, but you can save yourself a little bit of money if you know what all your options are, and are willing to do a little leg work – assuming you still have both after paying tuition. Once you have all the information, you can decide what works best for you.
BookMarq is the university owned and operated bookstore located just north of the Annex on 16th Street, the same street that McCormick Hall is on. Textbooks are always in abundance, and the convenience of being able to order your books online is very appealing to many students. Bookmarq’s central location makes them very accessible to students on campus and if you order your books online, you can have them shipped to your home or pick them up at the store. The academic sections and books are well marked and easy to find.

BookMarq does not provide this level of convenience and ease for free; prices tend to be slightly higher than the alternatives. Students who choose the campus bookstore generally do so for convenience. “When I have to take my business to a campus bookstore, I take it to BookMarq because I can use my Marquette Cash there,” said Amanda Wolff, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. BookMarq’s number is (414) 288-7317.

Sweeney’s: If students are not willing to pay for that level of convenience, but do not want to look off campus, they generally head to Sweeney’s. Located on the corner of Wisconsin and 17th streets, Sweeney’s is campus’s independently owned bookstore. Prices are generally cheaper, but books are harder to find and not always readily available.

Sweeney’s tries to make their main customer the student and not the University, as they argue BookMarq does. Sweeney’s will be relocating after the fall semester to 14th and Wells streets, a location that used to be a Chinese restaurant, if any of you were curious about the pagoda over the front door. Their store hours for August are Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information about Sweeney’s or to order books online, click here.

Online Options: Many students are beginning to explore alternatives to campus bookstores. Online textbook shopping has exploded in the past couple of years, with more and more students trying to save any amount of money they can. Some popular sites include Amazon.com, half.com, textbooks.com, barnesandnoble.com and chegg.com to name a few. “[Chegg.com] has definitely become my favorite,” said Wolff. Chegg.com is a book rental site that rents books to students for the semester, then takes the books back with no return shipping charged. Many students, however, are weary to try online options because of the security risk involved; students are afraid that books will never be shipped or they might receive the wrong edition.

Whether you buy at BookMarq or Sweeney’s, Barnes and Noble or Amazon, almost everyone suggests shopping around a little bit before pulling the trigger. “Wait until after the first day of classes to buy your books,” said Andrew Schueller, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “A few times a ‘required’ book wasn’t needed at all, so wait until your teacher personally hands you a book list and then buy those.”

So no matter where you buy from, it is important to explore all your options first, and hopefully buying books doesn’t have to be too painful.

Finally. You’ve arrived. You have undoubtedly looked forward to this week with great anticipation and anxiety, and I want to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Marquette family.

The next four years – or five for those of you who will choose to stay a little longer – have the potential to be some of the most memorable of your life, and surely will challenge and impact you immensely. In addition to offering a notable academic program, Marquette offers its students many opportunities outside the classroom, and I encourage you to take full advantage of all that this school, and this city, has to offer. Get involved in student organizations, Greek life, intramural sports, volunteer work, Campus Ministry and the vibrant social life that binds this community together.

Tell your parents not to worry about you; you are going to be just fine here. The friends you make will help support you and you will surely help support them through this first year of your college journey. To help you adjust to that experience, The Warrior, Marquette’s independent student run newspaper, has published this issue. In this edition you will find an overview of some of the things you should know as you begin this year. We hope that you find the information we have collected useful and will continue to pick up a copy of The Warrior throughout the school year.

Thanks for reading, and I hope that the coming year is full of new and exciting opportunities and experiences. Welcome home.

If you took a tour as a prospective first year student at Marquette, you were probably made aware of our great reputation as a school of higher learning. You most likely experienced a brief overview of what goes on at University Ministry, now Campus Ministry, from your tour guide as you walked through the union, and maybe heard something about a MAP trip or Mass at the St. Joan of Arc Chapel on Tuesday nights.

During orientation week you will be bombarded with phrases like “magis” and “ad majoren dei gloriam” until you cannot take it anymore. These are all typical religious talking points for most of campus, but to be honest, while these things are great, they do not even scratch the surface of the different faith based initiatives at Marquette.

In association with its Jesuit identity, Marquette offers 12 Catholic Masses per week. The popular Tuesday night Mass at St. Joan of Arc Chapel is led by the Rev. John Naus, S.J., who is a great guy. But there are other great Jesuits who lead different Masses throughout the week such as the Rev. Thomas Anderson, S.J., the Rev. Frank Majka, S.J., the Rev. Michael Zeps, S.J., the Rev. Joseph Mueller, S.J., and a “host” of others. These Masses are held Monday through Friday at 12 p.m. and Monday through Thursday at 10 p.m. at St. Joan of Arc Chapel. There are also five Masses during the day at Gesu Parish. And that doesn’t even cover the weekends, where Marquette has a special Mass at 4 p.m. on Sundays at which the Liturgical Choir sings.
During the year you will find Taize services, reconciliation services and weekly meetings by groups such as Catholic Outreach, who meet on Thursdays at 8 p.m. in the Chapel of the Holy Family. The Eucharistic Chapel outside of Campus Ministry is also open at the same times as the Alumni Memorial Union for silent prayer opportunities.

With regards to non-Catholic Christian groups and services on campus, check out Lutheran Campus Ministry and Pastor Brad Brown at his Lutheran service at 6 p.m. Sundays at the Chapel of the Holy Family. If you sing or play an instrument, they are always looking for extra participants.
Campus Crusade, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and “The Ave,” a non-denominational Christian group, are also non-Catholic alternatives on campus. Campus Ministry also runs an Islamic prayer room in the Alumni Memorial Union. You can find out more about Catholic and non-Catholic services in Campus Ministry, which is located on the first floor of the Union.

Although the main services on campus are great, there are many lesser-publicized, but still prevalent religious outlets. College is about learning and growing. If you are struggling in class, go talk to your teacher. If you are curious about your faith, go talk to your hall minister; every residence hall has at least one. You don’t need to have any questions; you don’t need to go to church with him or her. Just knock on their door.

College is a chance to grow and change. So many people who came to college without any faith in a higher power have either developed a better appreciation for those that do have faith, or have developed a faith of their own. There are also many who were strong believers freshman year and are now agnostic or atheist. At this institution of higher learning, do not let the opportunity to learn about what else is out there slip through your fingers.

Welcome to what will be the best four years of your life (perhaps five or six for some of you). It is my pleasure to welcome you to Marquette.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all heard about the friends you are going to make, the lessons you are going to learn, and the beer you are going to drink (trust me, it deserves it’s own category). That stuff is all fine and dandy, but I’m not hear to tell you about any of it. I’m not sentimental…
I’m a sports writer. And as a sports writer, it is my job to quench the one insatiable desire on this campus that never runs dry: Marquette Basketball. With that being said, it is time for you, the Class of 2012, to be acclimated to the proudest athletic tradition we have on campus.
First and foremost, there are no pre-requisites to be a fan of Marquette Basketball. You can be the fourth generation of your family to come to this fine institution, know its history, and know why its basketball program is so treasured. Or, you can still think Marquette is a city in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Either way, we’re all in the same boat.

The next, and second most important step is getting yourself in the building for every home game.
How do we do that Brian?
Easy. Walk into the Al McGuire Center, reach into your wallet, and throw down 85 big ones. That’ll get you one seat to every single home game for the season. Here’s another suggestion to go with that: buy those tickets ASAP!
Before I tell you why, it’s time for a brief history lesson. The last three years have been the most successful stretch in the history of Marquette Basketball since 1980. Come to grips with that. Not one of best, THE best in almost 30 years.
Sixty-nine total victories, averaging 23 wins per season and most importantly, three consecutive births into the NCAA Tournament. On top of that, the returning team was a goofy 7-footer’s miracle shot away from advancing to the Sweet 16. As you can imagine, tickets to these games are a hot commodity to students, faculty, and alums alike.

Now I know the year is just beginning, but do some math with me. There are roughly 4,200 student section seats at the Bradley Center. Our undergraduate enrollment is just over 8,000. Toss in grad students, and that’s 11,500 people who eligible to purchase student season tickets. That means well over half of the student body at Marquette will not have season tickets to basketball games. So if you want to be in the house, make it a priority or trust me, there are plenty that will.

Once you’re in the building, you are entitled to do anything that won’t get you kicked out of the arena (Trust me, I know from experience. Security can get pretty physical). Everyone knows the drill whether you’ve stepped inside the Bradley Center or not. Cheer loud and hard until you are blue in the face. I have no fear that you will struggle with that at all.

It’s the conversation that goes on after the game that forces me to lay down the law on a few issues…
Dominic James is not going to stop shooting threes… Deal with it.
We are a fast-breaking, guard oriented team that loves to play defense… Embrace it.
No, that huge guy at the end of the bench, transfer Liam McMorrow, cannot suit up this year, no matter how bad you want him to.
You are limited to only three uses of the phrase, “If we only had a true center…”
Yes, it is awesome that they sell beer at games, even though the prices are absurd.
And finally, never under any circumstance begin a statement with, “If Tom Crean was here…” (The person that hears you say that gets to punch you in the arm).

I’m not going to try and explain it in detail, but you are going to have a blast this year. This team will put you through more emotional highs and lows than Brett Favre’s off-season (It still stings, doesn’t it Packers fans?). Enjoy your time down at the Bradley Center and love your time here at Marquette.

While there are many organizations on campus, only one organization believes itself to be the overseeing watchdog to all others. This organization has an annual budget of around $500,000. They require all clubs to write constitutions conforming to standards they dictate. They also distribute, as they see fit, small amounts of money to these same clubs and student organizations.

The organization on campus with this great deal of power entrusted to it is the Marquette University Student Government, headed by a group of individuals elected from a small minority. The current leader of MUSG is Ray Redlingshafer, who along with vice president Kathleen Blaney was elected last spring with 1,137 votes. Marquette has approximately 8,000 undergraduates, so this means that they were elected by around 14.2% of the student population.

While they were elected by very few individuals, Ray and Kathleen do have some great ideas for Marquette, including putting more computers in the Union, and creating a service branch of MUSG. They are also working to give your student activity fee, which is currently a required $54 per year, to have Marquette develop an electric van. Something they believe Marquette has a better chance of doing than the auto makers, apparently. The van will hopefully operate as a LIMO van upon completion.

But just how does MUSG work? It is a bureaucrats’ dream. There is a Senate, which has members of each college along with representatives of each of the residence halls, and some seats for those individuals living off campus. There is leadership for the Senate in the form of the Legislative Vice President, who works to keep the senators all in check, and makes sure that they all attend weekly senate meetings and follow the rules that they have created for these meetings.

It would be absurd to think that the senate can accomplish tasks solely by meeting during the appointed Senate meetings. They break into smaller committees and sub-committees, so that they can bring things back to talk about during the Senate meeting. The Legislative Vice President, along with being the leader of the senate, is also a member of the Executive Board. The Executive board is made up of the President, Executive Vice President, Finance Vice President, Legislative Vice President, Programs Vice President, Communications Vice President and Jon Dooley the University Administrator. Each of the individual Vice Presidents have a staff that works with them to prepare for these meetings throughout the week, and work with the projects that come out of the Executive meetings, which are closed to students. It sounds convoluted because it is.
Granted these people do not just meet with each other, they involve many people outside of the Senate. In a letter earlier this summer, Redlingshafer described what he has been working on during the summer for the student population as, “meeting with a large amount of administration this summer.”
These administrators include the athletic director, head of public safety, and the new provost. This is skeptical progress, as meeting with important administrators does not actually accomplish anything. Solely having meetings puts MUSG into danger of following its previous precedent – not accomplishing anything. One can only hope that actual actions come out of these meetings.

Redlingshafer has acknowledged that he does have plans for this coming year. In the past, MUSG has been very quiet on what it does with its vast sums of money which the students generously provide. Perhaps Redlingshafer will follow through on his campaign promise of better communication.
As skeptical as one should be of MUSG, they are an organization that has the potential to do great things for Marquette, and it would be a good idea to become involved as a freshman. Work to accomplish things for the benefit of Marquette; do not become caught in the arrogance which radiates from many currently involved in MUSG. Make the student government one that works for the students. It is a hard task, but certainly one which can be accomplished. A lot is expected from the Redlingshafer administration this year, including a complete reconditioning of MUSG’s credibility on campus. The Warrior remains the only newspaper on campus with the ability to report what really happens at Marquette University Student Government, so stay tuned.

For the next several months, living in a battleground state will be an absolute thrill.

For the political junkie, nothing is more fun that living in a battleground state in a presidential election season. In 2004, Wisconsin was decided by less than one percent of the vote, and early polling data show this election is going to be just as close.

Because we’re a purple state, both the Obama and McCain campaigns are going to commit significant resources to winning Wisconsin. The candidates, their wives, their running mates and other surrogates are going to visit constantly. In 2004, students from Marquette got up close and personal with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, First Lady Laura Bush, and other prominent figures. These surrogates include more than just the politicians – Marquette’s College Democrats hosted a visit by the actor Jake Gyllenhall, and Natalie Portman visited the MillerTime pub downtown. Republicans brought in NASCAR racers and Mayor Rudy Guiliani.

These high-profile visitors often come to the Milwaukee area because it is the state’s biggest media market. Sometimes they come directly to campus.
I can remember a phone call from the Bush headquarters in 2004, when I was the head of the Students for Bush group on campus: Daniel – the Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, are going to visit campus next week. We need you to get the name, social security number, and birth date of the 200 people you’re going to get to attend for the Secret Service to check out. We ended up exceeding our goal for attendance, had a great event, and were very pleased that John Edwards’ daughter drew only 50 people to an event on campus the next week.

All of these visitors come with cameras in tow. Another time we got a call – CNN wants footage of Students for Bush doing a phone bank and campaigning door to door. So on one day’s notice, we pulled together volunteers in a room in the AMU basement with a box of cell phones, and started calling through lists of undecided voters. We only got to meet the producer, but Judy Woodruff did the voice-over narration on the story.
News reporters love “what are the young people thinking” stories, and they’ll often stop random Marquette students walking around campus for a quick interview. This will be especially the case with Barack Obama’s supposed unique appeal to our generation.

And there will be all the other parts of the circus that is a national campaign. TV ads will take over your evening news. There will be volunteers outside Raynor wearing matching t-shirts and passing out quarter-sheets urging you to vote a certain way or to attend a certain rally.

My advice: Dive in. Drink it up. You can meet cool people, make great
memories, and no matter what your political affiliation, fulfill Marquette’s mission to “be the difference.”

*Daniel Suhr is a recent graduate of Marquette’s Law School, and the former chairman of Students for Bush.

As you begin your freshman year at Marquette you quickly realize that you are on your own. Your nagging parents are replaced with fellow students who would like to go out, watch movies, play video games, who would like to do anything… except study. It is very easy to start skipping class and fall behind in your coursework. This behavior will not only result in terrible grades but it will cause you to miss out on a major opportunity here at Marquette – learning.

In high school many of the classes probably seemed dull and pointless. While you may run into some similar courses here at Marquette, there are many great professors to learn from and a variety of different subjects to learn about. Do not pass up this opportunity.

Every student is required to take classes from the Marquette core curriculum. At first you may believe this requirement is unnecessary. Many ask why a math major needs to study philosophy or theology anyway. The goal of these required courses is to make every Marquette student well rounded, or at least to allow everyone to experience unfamiliar subjects that they may enjoy.

Some of the most important classes in the core curriculum are the theology classes. Marquette requires most students to take at least two theology classes. These classes are not simply limited to Catholic theology but extend into other religious beliefs including various Protestant faiths, Islam and Judaism. These courses not only give you a lot of information on these different religions, but deal with some of the most important questions people ask themselves such as: How am I going to live my life? or what type of person do I intend to become?

Also in the core curriculum are classes on philosophy, diverse cultures and history. All of these courses deal with ideas, individuals and events that have impacted the world we live in today. Many of the problems we currently face have already been dealt with and in order to solve them it can only help to study the decisions people have made in the past.

In order to enjoy these types of classes you have to search out the courses you are interested in and find a good professor to take it from. Throughout my time here at Marquette I have benefited from some extremely passionate and intelligent professors. In order to help you with your search I would like to share with you the professors I have been influenced most by and urge you to take some of their classes.

Professor Mark Armstrong teaches courses on international politics; he is extremely informed on current events and the history of the 20th century. Professor Michael Fleet also teaches in the political science department; he is very knowledgeable about political systems of countries all over the world. Two other professors that offer unique and informative clases are Professor McGee Young and Professor Ryan Hanley.

In other subjects, the Rev. William Kurz, S.J., teaches excellent theology classes, and Dr. Olga Yakusheva teaches many economics courses. I highly recommend taking economics, as it is an extremely important subject that forces individuals to think logically — something people in America often fail to do. Professor Daniel Meissner teaches history courses on China and East Asia, which count for the diverse cultures core requirement. There is currently a Facebook group for him entitled “Dan Meissner: Confucian Gentleman and Shinto God,” so you know he must be popular.

These are just a few of the professors from whom I have had the benefit of learning over the past three years. I urge you all to take advantage of the great opportunities you will have over your college career to develop into informed individuals. This will not only make you a more interesting person but will also make life more enjoyable for you.

As Socrates once said, “The greatest pleasure in life is talking about the questions that really matter with the people that really care.”

Tired of cafeteria food already? Don’t worry; Milwaukee has many great off-campus dining options that can relieve the boredom of eating at the cafeteria.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make your freshman year is to not get off campus and explore the city. If you’re in the mood for some off-campus dining or shopping, here are some great restaurants that are just a short walk or bus ride away.

The East Side offers many different dining options, but one of the most notable restaurants is the Twisted Fork, located at 2238 N. Farwell Ave. The menu has everything from steak to burgers to pasta — all at affordable prices. The atmosphere is casual, but can be romantic, so it is perfect for a date or a night out with friends. It is also conveniently located next to the Oriental Theatre, an independent theatre that usually plays two to three movies at a time as well as monthly showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. So if you are in the mood for dinner and a movie, then the Twisted Fork is the perfect place. To get there by bus, take the 30 to Prospect and North avenues and walk a block west to Farwell Avenue.

The Third Ward is so close to campus that it would be a mistake never to experience it. Although the streets are lined with many awesome restaurants and shops, my favorite place is the Milwaukee Public Market located at, 400 N. Water St. With over a dozen different vendors ranging from cheese to Indian to fish, you will be sure to find something you like. To get there, take any bus that goes downtown (10, 14, 23, 30) and get off at Water Street. From there, walk three blocks to St. Paul Avenue.

One of the most interesting restaurants downtown is the Safe House, 779 N. Front St. This spy-themed restaurant is affordably priced for all of the character that it has. Although the food is nothing special — mostly hamburgers, sandwiches and salads — the atmosphere alone is worth it. To get in, you have to know the password — if you don’t, you have to prove you are not capable of treason. Inside, the walls are decked with spy gear, and there is even a back entrance when you leave. To get there, take any downtown bus, get off at Water Street and go north to Front Street. Good luck finding it, it is located in a dark alley and the name is not on the door.

These are just three recommendations, although there are many other great dining options in every corner of the city. Have fun exploring the city and discovering all Milwaukee has to offer; it’s an exciting city that has something for everyone.